About AB

Mission Statement:

Alternative Breaks are national or international service learning trips that use education of social justice issues combined with strong direct service to have a lasting impact on students and the communities they work alongside.

Vision:

To create globally conscious active citizens who commit to lifelong service.

Who We Are:

Alternative Breaks@UCSD (AB@UCSD) is a non-profit student organization at UC San Diego. Founded by Chapin Cole (UCSD ’06) & Melissa Higgins (UCSD ’06), AB@UCSD aims to cultivate socially active and globally conscious leaders. Alternative Breaks are national or international service learning, alcohol and drug free trips that incorporate direct service, education, diversity, reflection, issues of social justice, and reorientation to have a LIFELONG impact on participants.

AB@UCSD is open to all students (undergraduate, graduate, alumni and staff/community advisers) and acts as a facilitator for all Alternative Breaks on campus. Meetings will be held with principal members of each Alternative Break trip to discuss and train on such issues occurring pre-trip, on-trip, and post-trip. Logistics, site logistics, pre-trip and post-trip cultural education, and on-trip scenarios amongst others will be discussed. There are 12 participants per trip, including any alumni/graduate members and community advisors.

We are a proud Advantage Level member of Break Away.

All Alternative Breaks through AB@UCSD incorporate 8 Quality Components of an Alternative Break that were adopted by Break Away, the national non-profit organization that trains leaders to organize Alternative Break programs nationwide.

The 8 Components are listed as:

1. Strong Direct Service
2. Orientation
3. Education
4. Training
5. Reflection
6. Reorientation
7. Diversity
8. Alcohol & Other Drug Free